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News in brief 01/04/16

Egbert Taylor Group team up with Smartbin

Egbert Taylor Group, the company behind BigBelly smart bins, has announced a partnership with Smartbin Ltd, which will allow them to become the UK’s sole distributor of Smartbin’s intelligent monitoring systems for large four-wheel metal container.

Brendan Murphy, CEO of the Egbert Taylor Group

The strategic partnership, announced on 29 March, will allow the range of Egbert Taylor bins and skips to become ‘smart’ units as existing bins can be retrofitted easily with SmartBin sensors. The sensor technology involves ultrasonic fill-level monitoring which allows field operatives to monitor when bins require emptying. Bin locations can also be monitored using the technology.

The sensors allow waste collectors, local authorities and recycling companies to optimise their collection routes by providing accurate, real time insight into bin levels. This, in turn, helps reduce time and cost resources for waste management organisations and councils.

Brendan Murphy, CEO of the Egbert Taylor Group, comments: ““The world of waste collection has considerably evolved from when Taylor first opened its doors over five decades ago. Not only do manufacturers such as the Egbert Taylor Group need to evolve with the sector but we also need to play a role in shaping it.

“As demand from private and public sector organisations to become more efficient and sustainable, our alliance withSmartBin will enable those who already have an established fleet of bins and containers to ‘upgrade’ their stock and benefit from significant cost and efficiency savings.”

Zero waste blogger receives volunteering award from Prime Minister

The Rubbish Diet blogger Karen Cannard has been named a Point of Light by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Inspired by the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, Cannard started the blog in 2008, and challenges a community of over 3,500 members to cut down on their waste. She says that on average, members reduce their black bin waste by a third and have saved 600,000 wheelie bins of waste (over 1,200 tonnes) from landfill. Collectively, the members that have taken The Rubbish Diet challenge have recorded savings of £260,000 by shopping more smartly and not wasting food.

Karen Cannard

The Point of Light award honours examples of volunteering across the country and Cannard is the 509th recipient. Presenting the award, the Prime Minister said: “Through ‘The Rubbish Diet’ Karen has inspired and supported thousands of people to cut down on their waste. Her work has helped to keep hundreds of tonnes of rubbish out of landfill, as well as helping families to reduce food waste and save money. Karen’s commitment to tackling waste is outstanding and I am delighted to recognise her as the UK’s 509th Point of Light.”

Cannard added: “With recycling rates flat-lining and food waste being such a significant issue, every positive change we can make at home is now vital. I am proud of how many people The Rubbish Diet has helped and of my hard-working colleagues who have helped to make that happen… We try to make reducing waste as easy as possible for our dieters whilst also calling for changes in design and better reuse and recycling systems.”

More information on the Rubbish Diet Challenge can be found on the blog, and you can also read Cannard’s behind the scenes look at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Hugh’s War on Waste.

Metal recycler Ward Recycling invests £4 million into new site

Waste metal recycling company Ward Recycling is to invest £4 million to redevelop its 7.5 acre Chesterfield depot in order to process more construction and demolition waste at the site.

The Swadlincote-based company plans to house new facilities and equipment on the site, which it purchased in 2015. In addition to providing a new building and hard standing for processing and storing recyclables, the project will also reduce the visual impact of the site.

The site development will create jobs and allow the company to process 60,000 tonnes of waste metal every year and has been planned in conjunction with Caulmert, environmental, engineering and planning specialists based in Nottingham.

Caulmert will perform ground investigations, geotechnical surveys and flood risk assessments and will drill down approximately 30 metres to detect coal or underground mines. Based on these investigations the correct foundations can be designed to support the new building and equipment, which will include a 1000 tonne shear. Investigations have already begun and should be completed in mid-March.

Ward Recycling project manager Donald Ward said: “We’re looking to bring this site up to modern environmental and health and safety standards, which will create jobs and allow us to continue the growth of the company.

“We understood the Chesterfield site was in need of significant improvements when we first purchased it in 2015. We retained a number of the original staff and have subsequently employed more than 15 people to help strengthen the team on site. We hope to complete the initial phase of work by summer 2016.”